Hat-protector.



H. W. HICKS.

HAT PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. a. 191s.

1,1 87,622. Patented June 20, 1916.

mwmtoz THE CCLuMmA PLANOGRAPH co.. WASMINGTQH. D. t.

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HARRISON W. HICKS, OF HUNTINGTON, INDIANA.

HAT-PROTECTOR.

memes.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 20, 1916.

Application led March 3, 1915. Serial No. 11,913.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, HARRISON IV. Hicks, a citizen of the United States, residing at Huntington, in the county of Huntington and State of Indiana, haveJ invented certa-1n new and useful Improvements in Hat-Protectors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hat protectors.

The primary object of my invention resides in the provision of an improved means detachably associated with the inner band of a hat for preventing persons from taking the wrong hat, the improved means consisting essentially of a guarding bar or prong which extends laterally from the in ner side of the hat, therebypreventing the hat from being disposed about the head of the taker. Y

Another object of my invention resides in the `provision of a novel means associated with the guarding means for holding the same in an operative position, the said holding means having associated therewith, for cooperation with the guard, a novel means for preventing the operation of the holding means, for preventing the guarding means from being accidentally placed in an operative position so as to cause no inconvenience to the wearer and user of the device.

A further object of my invention resides in the provision of a novel resilient means associated with the holding means that will automatically cause the holding means to engage the guarding means.

A still further object of my invention resides in the provision of a novel means for removably securing the eptire device to the hat band.

A still further object of my invention resides in the provision of a novel means associated with the attaching means or supporting plate of the device for facilitating the supporting or hanging of the hat to which the device is attached, to any convenient place.

A still further object of my invention resides in the provision of a device of the character described that is simple ,in construction, eliicient in operation and one that can be manufactured and placed on the market at a minimum cost.

Other objects as well as the nature, characteristic features and scope of my invention will be more, readily understood from the following description taken lin connection with the accompanying drawings and pointed out 1n the claims forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings: Figure l is a side elevational view of my invention applied to the inner band of a hat, the latter being shown .in longitudinal section; F ig. 2 is a trans-k verse sectional view of my invention applied to the innerband of the hat, only a portion of the hat being shown in transverse section; F ig. 3 is a perspective view of my invention showing the guarding bar or vprong in an operative locked position; F ig.

hat il with an inner band 2, to which is removably secured my improved hat protector, generally designated 3. The hat protector in this instance consists vessentially of a preferably rectangular shaped plate 4 formed of metal or other desired material, the plate being curved longitudinally as at 'so asv tobe readily insertible between the band and theinner surface of the hat and in order that no inconvenience will be caused the wearer. Formed integral with and extending from one of the longitudinal edges of the plate are parallelly arranged strips, the

rlatter being bent adjacent their points of juncture with the plate and arranged in spaced parallel relation with the plate to provide spring clamping arms 6. Tongues 7 formed preferably by striking out the metal, are provided on the inner surfaces of the strips which, when the strips and the plates are arranged in straddled relation about the'inner band 2, are adapted to engage the inner band of the hat and thereby prevent accidental or other movement of the device. Also extending from the longitudinal edge, at a point intermediate the clamping arms 7 and preferably formed integral with the plate, is a projection 8, the sides of which converge toward the outer end. Hinge ears 9 are formed integral with the bar 13,

the front face of the plate at a point slightly above the plane of the upper longitudinal edge,-between which ears is pivotally mounted, preferably by means of a pin 10, another ear 11 which carries a lug 12 and to the outer surface of which lug'is rigidly secured a guarding bar o-r prong 13, the inner edge of which is arranged in alinement with the inner edge of the lug and which inner ends are adapted for abutting relation with the front face of the projection when the bar is in its lowermost position or laterally arranged withrespect to the projection.

1n order to removably hold, the bar 13 in a substantially rigid and laterally extending position on the projection, 1 have pivotally mounted a catch 14 on the proj ection at a point above the pivotal mounting of by means of a suitable fastening element 15. The'catch in this instance is formed preferably from a single strip of metal, bent intermediate its ends and having the respective end portions arranged' in planes substantially parallel with each other.

1 One side of the plate is reduced to provide a recess 16, the inner end of which, when the catchV is in an operative position, prevents upward movement of the bar 13. The

`side edge of the catch in which the recess 16 is provided, is tapered as at 17, gradually Afrom a point above the point of distortion to the recess in order to facilitate the operation ofthe device in a manner to be hereinafter described. j

For the purpose of causing the catch 14 to v automatically engage the bar 13, 1 have rigidly mounted a leaf spring 18V on the projection above the catch by means of a suitablefastening device 19, the spring being slightly `curved and having its free'end arranged at all times in intimate contact with one edge of the catch as illustrated to advantage at 2th v j 1n order to prevent the accidental locking of theguard bar v13 whenit is not desired to makeuse of this protecting means, 1 have provided la 'supporting strip 21 and slidably mounted the same betweenthe'ears 9 and the'upper longitudinal edge of the plate e, the free ends of the strip being bent upon themselves and engaged upon the rear surface of the projectionv in order to prevent the Vaccidental displacement of the Strip from its position. rlhe upper edge of the strip is provided at a point substantially intermediate its endswith an arcuate vrecess QQ, which, when arranged beneath the pivot point of the guard bar, allows the inner ends of the bar *'13 and thev lug 12 to be arranged in abutting relation with the plate, consequently allowing the catch 19 tov-be operatively engaged about the bar, but when the plate is slid longitudinally of the device, the upper edge of the vsupporting strip being ythen arranged directly beneath will, when engaged by the head of the wearer, be shoved upwardly into a vertical or inoperative position, the upward movement being facilitated by the tapered portion 17 of the catch 14. vA finger piece 23 is rigidly carried by the strip and preferably held thereon by means of a fastening device A24, the said finger piece facilitating ,the sliding of the strip 21. l

Y1When it is 'desired to hang the hat when there is no ordinary supportingV means, I have attached a cord 25 to the upper edge of the projection, the outer end 0f the cord engaging the attaching member 26, which includes essentially a strip provided with openings adjacent the respective ends thereof, one of which openings receives the cord 25 and the other has a suitable thumb tack or like device extending therethrough, the

pointed end of which is adapted for engage- Yment with the wall of a building or other convenient place. y

The operation of my invention is asy follows: i'ssumingthat the device has been applied to the inner band of a hat, in the manner described and that the wearer of the hat desires to hang Vthe same on an ordinary hook, at the same time making use ofthe hat protector, preparatory to hanging the hat, the supporting strip 21 is slid, by means of ther finger piece 23, untilthe recess 22 is positioned beneath the pivotal supporting means of the bar 13, whereupon the said bar is allowed to move downwardly into position extending laterally from the projection so as to be rigidly engageable by the automatically operated catch 14. Now, it

,will be readily apparent that when a person secures the hat and places it on his head,

the bar y13 will prevent thehat from being positioned comfortablyy on the head and at the same time inform the person that he has obtained the wrong hat. The wearer of the device will ordinarily have the recess in the locking strip .2L-arranged to one side of ythe pivotal supporting means of the bar so that the retaining lmeans will not engage' the bar, even though the latter be in a laterally extended position and should it be in this position when the hat is applied to the headV of the wearer, the bar will move upwardly into an inoperative position and will not inconvenience the wearer to any extent. Y Y- Although I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I desire it to be understood that I am not to be limited to the exact details shown. However, great stress should be laid upon the arrangement of the novel holding means removably associated with the guarding bar as well as the supporting strip cooperating with both of these parts for controlling the operation of the arrangement.

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it can easily be seen that I have provided a device that is simple in construction, containing but a few simple parts that can be cheaply manufactured and assembled and when assembled can be placed upon the market and sold at a minimum cost.

It will be understood that the above de scription and accompanying drawings comprehend only the general embodiment of my invention and that various minor changes in detail of construction, proportion and arrangement of the parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims and withf out sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a hat protector, the combination with an attaching plate, a bar pivotally mounted thereon and adapted to be swung vertically and downwardly into a laterally extending position therefrom, a resiliently controlled catch pivotally mounted on the plate and provided with a recess for automatic engagement with the bar for preventing upward movement'of the bar, and a supporting strip slidably mounted on the plate and provided with a recess for coperating with the bar for either holding the.

bar 1n a vertical or horizontal position.

2. In a hat protector, in combination with an attaching plate, -a pivotally mountedy for facilitating the sliding of the strip and a pivotally mounted and resiliently controlled catch for automatically engaging and removably holding the bar in a laterally extended position from the plate.

3. VVAIn a hat protector the combination with an attaching plate, a p projection extending from the upper edge of the plate, a guard bar pivotally connected to the extension, a strip engaged about the vprojection and slidabley longitudinally on the upper' edge of the plate, said strip being normally positioned beneath the bar for supporting the bar in a vertical position and provided with a recess to allow the bar to assume a laterally extending position, a spring catch pivotally mounted on the projection above the pivot point of the guard bar and provided with a recess for automatically engaging and removably holding the guard bar in a laterally extending position, and a spring pivotally mounted on the projection for acting upon the catch.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRISON lV. HICKS.

WVitnesses J oHN M. VELCH, GEORGE REYNOLDS.

Copie: of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner cf Patents,

Wallingtomn C." 

